Let us first be sure of the most ancient name of the island
which has for so many generations been a place of dreams for the Scottish
peoples. We should also be certain that Iona was a holy place long before St
Columba arrived from Ireland.

Iona is most anciently known as Ioua, its ancient Gaelic or Pictish
name. This is the name invariably used by Adamnán, the ninth abbot, writing at
the end of the seventh century. In modern Gaelic it is called I (pronounced
ee), which simple form means island. In the fifth century the
Druids are supposed to have come here to escape the persecution of Imperial
Rome, and to have founded a library on the island. In 410, when Fergus II became
an ally of Alaric the Goth, he added to that library by bringing back books from
the plunder of Rome. So it was an established place of learning well before
Columba arrived! Another name for the island is Innis nam Druineach,
meaning the Island of the Cunning Workmen, or sculptors; and still another is
Innis-nam-Druidneach, the Isle of Druids.

More than twenty years before Columba came to Iona, a Christian cemetery was
founded on the island by St Oran of Letteragh, who died in 548.
This
Reilig Odhrain was the
burial place
of the kings of Dalriada up to 560, three years before Columba's arrival
with his twelve followers. There is also a tradition that there was a college of
seven bishops on the island at one time; and that two of them met Columba when
he arrived from Ireland and did their best to persuade him not to land. Bishops
in the ancient church had no territorial or diocesan powers and were subject to
the authority of the ab (the old term for abbot) of the community where they
were living at the time. They were simply required to provide episcopal
functions such as ordination. Many of the community would not be ordained and
they did not dedicate their churches in the modern sense, so the bishops were
much limited in their functions.

The succession of abs which follows starts with Colum-Cille (St Columba)
himself.

547 - 597 St Columba.

597 - 600 Baithéne. Colum Cille's devoted servant, cousin and successor as ab of the
community. During Columba's life Baithéne had charge of Hinba, and Mag Luinge in
Tiree. He is said to have been and accomplished scribe and was selected by
Columba before his death to finish the Psalter he himself had
started.

600 - 605 Lasrén Mac Feradaig.
During Colmba's time Lasrén was in charge of the satellite
community at Durrow. He was the son of a cousin of Columba.

605 - 623 Fergnae. The first ab not to be a blood-relation of Colum Cille. He is said to
have had some British blood.

623 - 652 Ségéne. He
was the nephew of Lasrén mac Feradaig.Died 12 August
652.

669 - 679 Failbe. Third cousin of Cumméne. He spent from 673 to 676 in Ireland. Died 22 March 679.

679 - 704 Adomnán - biographer of
St Columba. He was ab at the time of the Synod of Whitby and,
although converted to the Roman ways himself he was unable to persuade his
community on Hy. Died 23 September 704.

704 - 710 Conamail.. Died in 710, but we learn that Dunchad had already become abb in 707 and
continued until his death in 717. There is known to have been a schism on Iona
in 704 and that there were, consequently, and to 772, times when there were two
rival Abbs. The schism was the result of the attempt to 'convert' Iona to the
Roman ways.

716 - 724 Fáelchú. He received the chair of St Columba at the age of seventy-three on
Saturday 29 August and died as ab in 724.

722 - __? Fedlimid. Before Fáelchú died in 724, the annals recorld that Fedlimid became ab,
but his death is not recorded. It would seem that he was installed alongside
Dunchad - perhaps because of the latter's great age and infirmity, but see
Conamail above.